Device for impregnating wire rope



' Allg- 5, 1969 y. J. w. HARTER 3,459,156

DEVICE FOR IMPREGNATING WIRE ROPE Filed March 1, 1967 /NVE/VTO? JOHN WHA/PTER Attorney United States Patent O 3,459,156 DEVICE FORIMPREGNATING WIRE ROPE John W. Harter, Rocky River, Ohio, assgnor toUnited States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 1,1967, Ser. No. 619,718 Int. Cl. Bc 3/12; F1611 13/22; H02g 15/20 U.S.Cl. 118-405 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device forimpregnating a wire rope. Intended particularly for injecting a sealingmaterial to prevent water from traveling through the interstices of therope. The device includes a shield, a foam rubber sleeve and a hosesurrounding the shield. The shield carries a stem through which liquidis injected.

This invention relates to an improved device for impregnating a wirerope with a liquid.

I define the term wire rope as used herein to include various forms ofstranded wire structures, such as strands, ropes, cables, etc. Althoughthe invention is not thus limited, one application in which the deviceis particularly useful is in filling interstices of a wire rope with asealing material to exclude water. For example, in some building designsthe roof is suspended from wire ropes which pass through openings in theroof. The spaces around the ropes at the openings are readily sealedagainst leakage by the use of flashings and elastic hoses which surroundthe rope. Nevertheless water can flow through the interstices of theropes and thus leak into the building. However, it is apparent theinvention may have broader application, for example in lubricating awire rope.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improvedimpregnating device which enable a viscous liquid to be forcedeffectively into interstices throughout the cross section of a wirerope.

A further object is to provide an improved impregnating device whicheffectively seals off a length of a wire rope while providing means fordistributing a liquid through the interstices of the sealed portion.

A further object is to provide a device of the foregoing type which canbe installed and removed readily or moved along the length of rope.

A further object is to provide a means for preventing leakage through aroof of the construction aforementioned.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a root` and a wirerope which has my device installed thereon; v

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section on a larger scale of the deviceinstalled on a rope;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross section on line III-III of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross section on line IV-IV of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE \1 shows a roof 10 which is suspended by a large number of wireropes 12 (only one shown). The rope passes through an opening 13 n theroof and is anchored to a fitting 14 fixed to a beam 15 immediatelybeneath the roof. The other end of the rope is attached to asuperstructure, not shown. A metal flashing, which includes telescopingupper and lower sleeves 16 and 17, surrounds the rope above the opening.A hose 18 is iitted within the upper sleeve around the rope. Suitablecaulking also may be applied. This arrangement effectively preventsleakage through the opening 13 around the outside of the rope, but doesnot in itself prevent water from traveling thrcugh the interstices ofthe rope to the underside of the roo In accordance with my invention, limpregnate a length of the rope 12 immediataely above hose 18 with asealing material which excludes water. A wide choice of sealingmaterials are suitable, including asphalt-base materials, siliconerubber, polyurethane, acrylic resin, other plastics or even viscousgrease.

The impregnating device of my invention includes a metal shield 21 whichis substantially semicircular in cross section and has semicircularmetal inserts 22, 22a fixed within its end portions, leaving asemicircular recess 23 therebetween. The shield carries a radial stern24 which communicates with recess 23 and within which I x a conventionalgrease fitting 25. I fit an inner resilient O-ring 26 around stern 24where it joins the shield. The shield is of a length at least equal tothe length of rope I wish to impregnate. After placing the shield onrope 12, I wrap a foam rubber sleeve 27 around the rope and shield.Sleeve 27 is split at 28 substantially opposite stem 24 (FIGURES 3 and4) and extends beyond the shield at both ends. Next I place an arcuateinner metal strip 29 over sleeve 27 at the stem side. Conveniently strip29 may extend 50 to 60 each way from the stem axis, although the exactangle is not critical. I place arcuate outer metal strips 30 and 30aover the end portions of the inner metal strip 29. The metal of strip 29is easily deformed, preferably light gauge aluminum. The metal of theouter strips preferably is steel. Next I fit an outer resilient O-ring31 around stem 24 outside strips 30 and 30a. Finally I place a length ofhose 32 around the parts. The hose is split at 33 along the line of stem24. I clamp the hose with a plurality of conventional hose clamps 34,two of which are located immediately adjacent stem 24.

With the device assembled as described, I inject liquid through thegrease fitting 25 under pressure, which may be as high as 1500 p.s.i. Imay use any conventional equipment, such as a grease gun, for injectingliquid through the fitting. The liquid flows through recess 23 directlyover the surface of rope 12 through approximately half itscircumference. From the recess the pressure forces the liquid into theinterstices of the rope and also into spaces between the rope and shield21. Contact between the foam rubber sleeve 27 and the rope seals off theportions of the rope beyond the shield and prevents any appreciablequantity of liquid from flowing along the rope surface beyond theshield. The O-rings 26 and 31 prevent leakage of any liquid which -backsup around the outside of the shield. The edges of hose 32 do notnecessarily meet when clamps 34 are tightened (FIGURE 4), but the innermetal strip 29 covers the otherwise exposed portion of the foam rubbersleeve 27. The outer metal strips 30, 30a slide easily over the surfaceof the inner strip as the clamps are tightened.

From the foregoing description it is seen that my invention affords asimple and effective device for im-pregnating a wire rope, as well as amethod of preventing a roof from leaking where the roof is supported bywire ropes extending through holes in the roof. After I have impregnatedthe rope, I may either remove the device for use elsewhere or leavel itin place. If I use the device to lubricate a rope, I loosen the clampsand slide the device along the rope to a new location after lubricatingone section.

I claim:

1. A device for impregnating a wire rope with a liquid comprising ashield adapted to be placed over the portion of the rope to beimpregnated and having an aperture, a tubular stem extending radiallyfrom the aperture in said shield, a fitting in said stem through whichliquid can be injected under pressure, a foam rubber sleeve surroundingsaid shield and the rope and sealing the outside of the rope beyond theshield, a metal strip covering said sleeve on the side at which saidstem is located, a hose surrounding said sleeve and strip, and clampsholding said hose.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said shield is of metal andis substantially semicircular in cross section and includes insertsdelining a substantially semicircular recess communicating with saidstern.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said sleeve is split along aline removed from said stem and said hose is split along the line ofsaid stem.

4. A device as deiined in claim 1 in which said strip is of an easilydeformed metal, and said device further comprises outer metal stripswhich are covered by said hose and which cover the respective ends ofsaid firstnamed strip.

5. A device as dened in claim 1 further comprising a pair of resilientO-rings surrounding said stem and dis- 20 posed in sealing relationshipat the joinder of the stem with the shield and at the juncture of thestem with the strip respectively.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 296,645 4/ 1884 Stubbe 118-405 X302,051 7/ 1884 Stubbe a 118-405 X 1,589,108 6/ 1926 Caretta. 2,140,4261,2/1938 Hodson 184-15 2,665,773 1/ 1954 Osmun 118-405 X 2,712,8627/1955 Pemberton 184-15 X 3,101,812 8/1963 Mercer. 3,283,854 11/1966Self 118-404 X FOREIGN PATENTS 531,561 1/1941 Great Britain. 257,514 10/1948 Switzerland.

MORRIS KAPLAN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

